Seaming head and mounting thereon



-v 1943. A. 1.. KRONQUEST ETAL 2,337,999

4 SEAMING HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREON Original Filed Nov. 27, 1939 3Sneets-Sheet 1 1943- A. L. KR ONQUEST ET AL I ,3

SEAMING HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREON Original Filed Nov. 27, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 28, 1943. A. L. KRONQUEST ET AL 2,337,999

SEAMING HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREON Original Filed Nov. 2'7, 1959 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 28, 1943 SEAMIN G HEAD AND MOUNTING THEREONAlfred L. Kronquest and Otto A. Schmitt, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors toContinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Original application November 27, 1939, Serial N 0.

306,366. Divided and this application September 15, 1941, Serial No.410,948

Claims.

The invention relates generally to can making machinery and moreparticularly to container and end closure assembling machines of thenature disclosed in the co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patentfiled by Otto A. Schmitt on Nov. 10, 1939, Serial No. 303,991, and itprimarily seeks to provide a novel seaming head structure for use in amachine of this character and a novel mounting therefor. Thisapplication is a division of the previously co-pending application forU. S. Letters Patent filed by Alfred L. Kronquest and Otto A. Schmitt onNov. 27, 1939, Serial No. 306,366 and entitled Square can seaming head,now Patent 2,271,153, issued January 27, 1942.

In the can and end closure assembling machine disclosed in theco-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent above referred to, thecan bodies and end closures are individually fed to a turret which isindexed about a horizontal axis, and means are provided on and incooperative relation to the turret for presenting the can bodies and endclosures in loosely assembled relation at a seaming station at which theend closures are seam-secured upon the can bodies. pose of the presentinvention to provide a novel arrangement of seaming head disposed incooperative relation to the turret and on a horizontal axis, and a novelmounting for said head which will enable it to be readily swung awayfrom the turret from its operative position to an ineffec- 't-iveposition so as to facilitate servicing or inspection of the turret orthe seaming head parts.

An object of the invention is to provide a seaming head of the characterstated which is swin able away from the turret about a vertical axis,and novel driving connections for the operating parts of the head whichwill not be disrupted by movement of the head about its pivotalmounting.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means other than thepivotal mounting of the head for supporting the weight of the head whileit is being swung into or out of its cooperative relation with theturret.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting of thecharacter stated for a seaming head including a reciprocable knockoutpad, means for actuating the knockout pad, and novel quick detachablemeans in the driving connections which may be readily disconnected topermit the swinging away of the seaming head and which can be just asreadily again connected to complete the knockout pad driving connectionsIt is the purwhen the head has been returned to its cooperative relationwith the turret.

With the above and other objects in view which will more fully appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by followingthe description, the appended claims, and the several views illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: I 3

Figure v1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a containerassembling machine with the invention embodied thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken throughthe axis about which the seaming head is pivotally mounted.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 onFigure 2.

In the container assembling machine hereinbefore referred to and inwhich the seaming head herein disclosed is intended for use, there isincluded a frame base 5 and a frame structure 6 arising therefrom andincluding a shelf 1 and a vertically disposed bearing sleeve 8.

A main power driven shaft 9 is horizontally disposed in suitablebearings in the frame, and a pocketed turret I0 is secured upon one endof a shaft ll rotatably mounted in a horizontal bearing I2 on themachine frame and equipped at its other end with a disk Hi from whichindexing rollers project in equidistantly spaced relation for beingengaged by an indexing cam I4 which serves to impart step-by-steprotation to the turret for presenting the pockets thereof at the variousstations provided in the machine. The cam I 4 is mounted on the upperend of a shaft l5 supported in a vertical bearing It on the machineframe and driven by a gear couple I! from a shaft 18 verticallysupported in bearings IS. in the frame and in turn driven by a worm gearcouple 20 from the shaft 9.

Loosely assembled container bodyend closure elements generallydesignated 2|, when presented at the securing or seaming station at the.bottom of the turret as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, areengaged by a chucking pad 22 and are moved thereby from the positionillustrated in Figure 1 toward the right for the purpose of engaging thecontainer with the chuck of the seaming mechanism so that the endclosurecan be seam-secured to the container body in the manorhereinafter described. The chucking pad 22 is adjustably mounted on aslide head 23 reciprocably supported on the frame and having rollerconnection as at 24 with a grooved plate cam 25 secured upon the upperend of the shaft l8 and through the medium of which the desiredreciprocation is imparted to the pad 22.

The seaming head proper, the mounting of which comprises the mainsubject matter of the present invention, includes upper and lower casingsections 26 and 2? including laterally extended housing portionsrespectively designated 26 and 29, and these sections 26, and 21, 29 areflange-secured together as at The sections 26 and 21 thus secured form alarge open-ended bell portion 3| in which the seaming mechanism properoperates.

A part of the upper portion of the bell 3% is hinge-mounted as at 32 sothat it can be swung upwardly to facilitate access to the interior ofthe bell and the mechanism therein.

A pivot sleeve or standard 63 depends from the lower head section 2?,2S, and it will be observed by reference to Figures 1 and 3 of thedrawings that the axis of this sleeve is disposed to one sideof the axisof the bell portion 3i of the seaming head housing. The housing sections26, 28 and 21, 29 together provide a bearing hub portion 34 and abearing hub portion 35 disposed side by side. The pivot standard 33 ispivotally mounted in the bearing sleeve 8 formed on the machine frame,and the weight of the seaming head is supported in this bearing on anantifriction bearing equipment 36 interposed between the upper end ofthe bearing sleeve and the opposed portion of said housing.

By reason of the provision of the pivot standard and sleeve bearingequipments 33, 8, it is possible to swing the seaming head housing aboutthe axis of 'the bearing standard in order to move the seaming head intoand out of cooperative relation with the machine turret so as tofacilitate inspection and adjustment of the parts of the seamingmechanism. In order to suitably support the seaming head during swingingthereof between operative and inoperative positions and for avoiding thesetting up of twisting strains in the seaming mechanisms in the head,there is provided a supporting lug 3'1 on the lower head section 21adapted to be supported upon and ride over an arcuate track at extendingupwardly from the frame shelf portion 1. A forked lug 3?! also projectsfrom the lower housing section and is engageable by a quick detachablepivot screw 40 supported on the machine frame and which may be utilizedto secure the seaming head in the operative relation with the turretillustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

It will be observed by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings that ashaft member 5-! is affixed to the hub 35, and a sleeve 42 is freelyrotatable about this shaft within the hub. The sleeve car-- ries a spurgear 43, a slightly larger spur gear 44 and a bevel gear 45. Rotation isimparted to the bevel gear 45 and the sleeve to which it is affixed by abevel gear 46 affixed upon the upper end of a shaft 4! rotatable inbearings 53 in the standard 33 and which carries a bevel gear 49 at itslower end to which rotation is imparted from a bevel gear 59 securedupon the main drive shaft 9.

The particular seam forming equipments included in the head disclosed inparent case Serial No. 306,366 hereinbefore referred to are particularlyadapted to the seaming of square or oblong cans. The particular form ofthese seaming equipments forms no part of the present invention and itis to be understood that these equipments may be variously formed withinthe scope of the present invention which relates particularly to themounting of the seaming head. The

seaming equipments are herein generally desig nated 52 and insofar asthe present disclosure is concerned, it will suffice to refer to theseequip- 5 ments as including a stationary chuck 52, a reciprocableknockout pad a3 and a knockout rod 5 3 for actuating the same, a rotor55 for carrying the seaming levers, and a rotor 55 for impartingrotation to the cams or other devices for actuating the levers. Therotor 55 has a driving gear 51 affixed thereto and the rotor 56 has adriving gear 53 affixed thereto.

It will be apparent by reference to the drawings that the gears 51 and5B affixed to the rotors 55 and respectively mesh with and have rotationimparted thereto from the spur gears and d ll respectively which havebeen hereinbefore referred to as forming a part of the seaming mechanismdriving connections.

The knockout rod extended beyond the seaming head indicated in Figure 1and is connected at enterded end with the upper end lever his pivotedintermediate its ends,

at on a bracket di secured to the seaming i". At its lower end the lever59 is co a quick. detachable connection 62 pivoted to a thrust member 64shut-role in bearings 65 provided therein the machine frame. The thrustmember res a roller which engages a suitably plate cam ti which isrotatnbefore referred to. 6'; is so shaped, and the o timed, that theknockout on which it is carried roper time in each seam- .acing theseamed cono -ious by reference to the drawings moving the quickdetachable securing cm engagement with the forked'lug sea (1g can beswung about its'p'ivotal mounting whenever it is desirable'to remove ihead from the cooperative relation with the turret illustrated in Figure1 of the drawings the purpose of rendering the mechanisms no. in housingor those mounted d associated. with the turret accessible for nent orreplacement and the like. This 50 dsplacez ent of the head is greatlyfacilitated by the o center position of the pivot axis, and the y of themechanisms within the a .dditionally facilitated by the hinge mooningtil of the upper portion of the housing. Because of the nature of thedriving connection between the power shaft 9 and the seaming mechanismswithin the head, swinging of the about its pivotai mounting can beeffected without disrupting these driving connection or theirynchronized relation to the other mecha nisms of the machine. It will beobvious, however, that before the seaming head can be swung cm theturret in the manner above stated, the quick detachable connection 52forming a part of the kneels-out pad operating devices must released.

it will be apparent also that when the eaming head either out of or intoits cooperative relation with the turret It, the weight of the head issupported by the supporting track can ments thereby to relieve thepivotal moun g of the strain and bending tendency of this ofi-centerweight.

It is to be understood, of course, that the details of structure andarrangement of parts may 22,337,999 be variously changed and modifiedwithout departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. We claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticalplan and adapted to support in its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line I with the path of movement of the turret pockets,

means for indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timedrelation to advance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocketcomes to rest opposite said pad, a seaming head housing including alarge generally circular face portion disposed in a vertical planeclosely approximating the plane in Which. the turret head moves, seamingmechanism in said seaming head and including a chuck aligned with saidpad against which a can body and an end closure are pushed by the padeach time the turret comes to rest and power driven can body and endclosure seaming devices, a vertically disposed supporting standardprojecting from the seaming head, a bearing on said frame for saidstandard spaced to one side of the turret axis so that the seaming headcan i be swung about a vertical axis away from the turret to provide awide space between the turret and said seaming headface portion, a powersource on said frame, and driving connections between said power sourceand the seaming devices and effective to drive said mechanism regardlessof the position to which the seaming head is swung.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticalplane and adapted to support in'its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret'and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head housing including a large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head moves, seaming mechanism in saideaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pad each time the turretcomes to rest and power driven can body and end closure seaming devices,a vertically disposed supporting standard projecting from the seaminghead, a bearing on said frame for said standard spaced to one side ofthe turret axis so that the seaming head can be swung about a verticalaxis away from the turret to provide a wide space between the turret andsaid seaming head face portion, a power source on said frame, drivingconnections between said power source and the seaming devices andeffective to drive said mechanism regardless of the position to whichthe seaming head is swung, and cooperatively engaging supporting meansmounted on the seaming head and the frame respectively in spacedrelation to said standard bearing andserving to support said head in anyp'osition'to' which it-is' moved-about the axis of said standard.

3. In apparatus of the character described,-a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticalplane and adaptedto support in its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a' pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head housin including a large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head moves, seaming mechanism in saidseaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pad each time the turretcomes to rest and power driven can body and end closure seaming devices,a vertically disposed supporting standard projecting from the seaminghead, a bearing onsaid frame for said standard spaced to one side of theturret axis so that the seaming head can be swung about a vertical axisaway from, the turret to provide a wide space between the turret andsaid seaming head face portion, a power source on said frame,

driving connections between said power source and the seaming devicesand effective to drive said mechanism regardless of the position towhich the seaming head is swung, said driving connections including apower shaft rotatably coupled with said power shaft, and a .powertransmitting shaft traversing the axis of the driven shaft within saidseaming head and bevel I gear coupled with said driven shaft.

4; In apparatus of the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable'in a verticalplane and adapted to support in its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head hOllSing including a, large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head moves, seaming mechanism in saidseaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pad'each time the turretcomes portion, .a power source on said frame, driving connectionsbetween said ;power source and the -seaming devices and effective todrive said mechanism regardless of the position to which the seaminghead is swung, said driving connections including a driven shaftvertically rotatable in said standard, a power transmitting shafttraversing the axis of the driven shaft within said seaming head andbevel gear coupled with said driven shaft, and a power shaft rotatablysupported in the frame and gear coupled with said driven shaft. 7

5. In apparatus of the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticalplane and adapted to support in its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head housing including a large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head moves, seaming mechanism in saidseaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pad each time the turretcomes to rest and power driven can body and end closure seaming devices,a vertically disposed supporting standard projecting from the seaminghead, a bearing'on said frame for said standard spaced to one side ofthe turret axis so that the seaming head can be swung about a verticalaxis away from the turret to provide a wide space between the'turret andsaid seaming head face portion, a power source on said frame, drivingconnections between said power source and the seaming devices andeffective to drive said mechanism regardless of the position to whichthe seaming head is swung, said seaming mechanism including areciprocable knockout rod extending through said chuck, and means foractuating said knockout rod from said power source, said last namedmeans including a quick detachable connection for facilitating swingingof said head.

6. In apparatusof the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticalplane and adapted to support in itspockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head housihg including a large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head moves, seaming mechanism in saidseaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pad each time the turretcomes to rest and power driven can body and end closure seaming devices,a vertically disposed supporting tandard projecting from the seaminghead, a bearing on said frame for said standard spaced to one side ofthe turret axis so that the seaming head can be swung about a verticalaxis away from the turret to provide a wide space between the turret andsaid seaming head face portion, a power source on said frame, drivinconnections between said power source and the seaming devices andeffective to drive said mechanism regardless of the position to whichthe seaming head is swung, and cooperatively engaging supporting lug andarcuate track equipments carried respectively by said seaming head andsaid frame in concentrically spaced relation to the supporting standardaxis for supporting the head in any position to which it is moved aboutthe axis of said standard.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a frame, a horizontallydisposed bearing on said frame, a turret rotatably supported in saidbearing and including a pocketed disk-like head movable in a verticallane and adapted to support in its pockets container bodies and endclosures in position for being assembled, a chucking pad, means forsupporting the pad for reciprocation along a center parallel the turretaxis and in line with the path of movement of the turret pockets, meansfor indexing the turret and reciprocating the pad in timed relation toadvance the pad toward a turret pocket each time a pocket comes to restopposite said pad, a seaming head housing including a large generallycircular face portion disposed in a vertical plane closely approximatingthe plane in which the turret head rmoves, seaming mechanism in saidseaming head and including a chuck aligned with said pad against which acan body and an end closure are pushed by the pa d each time the turretcomes to rest and power driven can body and end closure seaming devices,a vertically disposed supporting standard projecting from the seaminghead, a

bearing on said frame for said standard spaced to one side of the turretaxis so that the seaming head can be swung about a vertical axis awayfrom the turret to provide a wide space between the turret and saidseamin head face portion, a power source on said frame, drivingconnections between said power source and the seaming devices andeffective to drive said mechanism regardless of the position to whichthe seamin head is swung, said driving connections including a powershaft rotatablv supported on the frame beneath and traversing the axisof said standard, a driven shaft vertically rotatable in said standardand beve1 gear coupled with said power shaft, a power transmitting shafttraversing the axis of the driven shaft within said seaming head andbevel gear coupled with said driven shaft, said seaming mechanism alsoincluding a seaming lever carrying rotor and a seaming lever actuatingrotor, a spur gear on each said rotor within the head, and spur gears onsaid power transmitting shaft and meshing with the spur gears on saidrotor.

8. In apparatus of the character described wherein is provided a turretrotatable in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis, a frame, achucking pad horizontally reciprocable on said frame, a seaming headhousing having an open end placed in a vertical plane in close parallelspaced relation to the plane in which said turret rotates and havingseaming mechanism therein including a chuck opposing said chucking pad,bearing having its axis disposed vertically to one side of the verticalplane in which the turret axis lies, a supporting standard dependingfrom the housing and pivotally mounted in said bearing whereby saidhousing can be swung away from the turret to provide a wide openingbetween the turret and said housing open end, a source of power, anddriving connections between said power source and the seaming mechanismwithin said housing and efiective to drive said mechanism regardless ofthe position of said housing.

9. In apparatus of the character described wherein is provided a turretrotatable in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis, a frame, achucking pad horizontally reciprocable on said frame, a seaming headhousing having an open end placed in a vertical plane in close parallelspaced relation to the plane in which said turret rotates and havingseaming mechanism therein" including a chuck opposing said chucking pad,bearing having its axle disposed vertically to one side of the verticalplane in which the turret axis lies, a supporting standard dependingfrom the housing and pivotally mounted in said bear; ing whereby saidhousing can be swung away from the turret to provide a wide openingbetween the turret and said housing open end, a source of power, drivingconnections between said power source and the seaming mechanism withinsaid housing and effective to drive said mechanism regardless of theposition of said housing, and cooperatively engaging supporting lug andarm'- ate track equipments carried respectively by said seaming headhousing and said frame in concentrically spaced relation to thesupporting standard for supporting the seaming head housing in anypositionto which it is moved about the axis of said standard.

10. In apparatus of the character described wherein is provided a turretrotatable in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis, a frame, a

chucking pad horizontally reciprocable on said the housing and pivotallymounted in said bean ing whereby said housing can be swung away from theturret to provide a wide opening between the turret and said housingopen end, a source of power, driving connections between said powersource and the seaming mechanism within said housing and effective todrive said mechanism regardless of the position of said housing, saiddriving connections including a power shaft rotatably supported on theframe beneath and traversing the axis of said standard, a driven shaftvertically rotatable in said standard and bevel gear coupled with saidpower shaft, and a power transmitting shaft traversing the axis of thedriven shaft within said housing and bevel gear coupled with said drivenshaft, said power transmitting shaft having its axis disposed paralleland beside the axis of the housing;

ALFRED L. KRONQUEST, OTTO A. SCHMITT.

